MediaTek Helio A22 SoC, Which Powers the Redmi 6A, Specs and Features Review

HIGHLIGHTS

• It has four Cortex A53 cores clocked at a maximum of 2.0GHz
• It comes with support for up to LPDDR4X RAM
• It offers AI Bokeh effects for single camera sensor setup

Xiaomi's latest smartphone in its ultra-affordable segment, the Redmi 6A, was announced earlier this week. One of the most interesting aspects of this handset was a never-seen-before MediaTek Helio A22 SoC at its core. Taiwanese semiconductor maker MediaTek has now gone ahead and detailed the features of its latest entry-level smartphone system-on-a-chip.

Also Read: Xiaomi Launches Redmi Y2 With 16MP Selfie Camera

The quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 SoC comes with four ARM Cortex-A53 processors with a maximum frequency of 2.0GHz, coupled with an IMG PowerVR GE-class GPU. As for memory, it is compatible with either the high-speed LPDDR4X or the cost-effective LPDDR3. It also supports eMMC 5.1 storage type. Adding to that, MediaTek claims that CPU performance of the Helio A22 is 30 percent faster and GPU performance is 72 percent better than its "direct alternative".

The new SoC supports up to an HD+ resolution of 1600x720 pixels and an aspect ratio of up to 20:9, capable of accommodating the taller than usual displays seen in modern smartphones, with or without the notch. This could mean that all-screen smartphones in the budget segment could soon be a reality. Connectivity options include GPS, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, FM radio, and Cat-4 LTE. The MediaTek Helio A22 also gets the new 4G LTE WorldMode modem that brings dual 4G SIM support with VoLTE/ ViLTE to compatible Android handsets. For North American markets, the 600MHz band is supported.

The Helio A22 also comes with certain AI capabilities courtesy the Light Edge AI engine. Capabilities on offer include software-based Face ID (Face Unlock), Smart Photo Album, and advanced single or dual-camera Bokeh effects. "With MediaTek NeuroPilot developers and device makers have the best possible ecosystem, with support for many common AI frameworks and full compliance with Android Neural Networks API (Android NNAPI), says the blog post.

With compatibility up to 13+8-megapixels in a dual camera setup and up to 21-megapixels in the single camera mode, the MediaTek Helio A22 uses twin image signal processors (ISP) to capture photos with Bokeh effect in dual camera setups, and users "clever AI ability" in single camera setups. Other features include improved low-light performance, multi-frame noise reduction, and clear-image zoom technology. Other enhancements include automatic aliasing minimisation and defect/ distortion correction techniques.